No fast bowler will take more wickets than Anderson in Test cricket again: Michael Atherton

Widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, English pacer James Anderson has never been shy of breaking records. Despite being 40 years old, Anderson has aged like a fine wine. In the 178 Test matches that Anderson has played thus far, he has snared a whopping 682 wickets to his name.

Former England skipper Mike Atherton recently came forward to talk about Anderson’s longevity. He also opined that no fast bowler will ever take more wickets than Anderson in Test cricket.

"No fast bowler will take more wickets than Anderson in Test cricket again. Ever. Records are there to be broken; faster, stronger, higher and all that, but I have absolute conviction that Anderson’s record, as yet unfinished and incomplete, will never be broken. As long as Test cricket is played (which may not be that long, hence part of the certainty), Anderson will stand tall, looking down on the rest," Atherton wrote in a column for The Times.

Anderson recently became the top-ranked Test bowler, prompting Atherton to heap praise on the 40-year-old, who noted that Anderson could soon pass the 700-wicket mark in Test cricket.

"It is a remarkable achievement for anyone to become recognised as the world’s best, but to do so at 40 years of age in a pursuit that is among the most physically demanding of any sport is magnificent," Atherton wrote.

"It is also the way the calendar has changed, with Tests retreating in the face of Twenty20, that will ensure his record is never beaten. It has taken Anderson 178 Tests to reach his present number of wickets. No cricketer will play that number in the future; certainly no fast bowler."

"Anderson’s average (25.94) does not stand out, but the longevity he has shown in a sport that has become increasingly demanding is an outlier. He will probably pass 700 Test wickets before he is done, and no fast bowler will ever get close to that again. Ever," he added.